I guess some may feel in the grip of a cold and damp winter, yet there is a glow in the air with Spring around the corner.   Crocuses and snowdrops are fading, daffodils are in bud and March is only a fortnight away.  We can put away our angle grinder, touch up the keel with a final coat of epoxy resin, wield our trusty paint-roller and think about casting off our very practical but rather tattered old boiler suit.     

This annual toil of crouching beneath the hull - usually performed alone but occasionally with a little sympathetic help - is what drives a few of us out of the house and onto the road for a romantic (or not) journey to the south coast.   Or maybe you've enough dosh to pass all this effort over to the boatyard - depending on how intimate you wish feel about your boat!

But there may be some lingering doubts - have I booked my slot for the re-launch or am I still waiting to replace the anodes?  Have I checked the propeller or the cutlass bearing?   What about my seacocks, gearbox oil, engine service - and general all-round polishing?    Did I clean the two-stroke outboard, flush it with fresh water and run it dry to clear the carburettor of fuel?   Have I washed the genoa sheets?   Are my sails back from valeting?   I’m sure something was said about all this on the discussion forum!  

But no worries, when the jobs are all done we can look forward to a new season, heralded by New Member’s Night (March 20th) when Chris will officially launch the Summer Programme.   And then two weeks later there’s the Fitting-out Supper & Quiz by which time we can feel more confident in our plans for the coming season.  I look forward to hearing about them.   
How time flies!

Leon Barbour